Page 23 of Too Enchanting

Serena

It’s time!”

That’s what was shouted in my ear when I picked up the phone at two in the morning, before the call was immediately disconnected. I sat up on my bed, disoriented and confused, still holding my phone up to my ear as my brain tried to catch up.

After a few moments, it clicked.

Reardon … Chloe … the baby. It’s time!

I shot out of bed and opened my drawer to pull on some shorts, then ran to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face and brush my teeth, before noticing my top half was still naked.

I hurried back to my dresser, pulled out a T-shirt and threw it over my head, not caring if it was inside out, backwards, or whatever, then ran down the stairs, shoved my feet in my flip-flops, and grabbed my purse as I headed out the door.

Once in the hospital, I took the elevator to the labor and delivery floor, then got off and rushed toward the room we’d all waited in when Zoey had Evie. Sure enough, when I rounded the corner, the Lewis cousins were out in full force.

Laurel was laid out across a row of chairs, her head in Dillon’s lap as she slept, while Dillon, Gabe, Chris, and Jazzy talked softly around her. I figured Zoey was at home with the baby, and Reardon was back with Chloe, going through the stages of labor.

“How did you guys beat me?” I asked, a little breathless as I sat down next to Jazzy, then added, “You ready for a long night?”

I don’t know why I was excited about the prospect. Something about staying up all night with my cousins, like we had when we were younger, had me grinning at them.

“Chloe’s already pushing,” Gabe said. “It won’t be such a long one.”

“What?” I asked, confused, my eyes darting to the clock. “Didn’t Reardon just call me, like, forty minutes ago?”

Jasmine nodded and said, “Yeah, but apparently Chloe didn’t tell him she was having contractions until they were only a few minutes apart. By the time they got here, she was already eight centimeters dilated.”

“Wow!” I exclaimed, excited to meet the baby, but kind of sad not to get the all-nighter with my cousins.

“Benjamin Lukas Lewis came in at eight pounds two ounces, and is twenty-one inches long,” Reardon said excitedly as he stepped into the waiting room.

Jazzy and I rushed to him, pulling him in for a group hug, while Gabe stood behind us waiting for his turn.

“Oh my gosh, you’re a daddy,” Jazzy said, her body practically vibrating with excitement.

“I know, can you believe it?” Rear replied, his voice thick with emotion.

I leaned back to look up into his handsome, ecstatically happy face.

“Tell me you did not name your son after Star Wars characters,” I said.

He didn’t even look guilty when he replied, “Sure did!”

Gabe chuckled behind us and said, “Only you,” and when we moved aside to give him room, he pulled Reardon into a hug and said, “Congrats, man.”

“Thanks, I can’t wait for you all to see him.”

“How’s Chloe doing?” Laurel asked, sitting up.

“She’s great,” Reardon said proudly. “She had Ben in no time and was already nursing him while they were finishing up. You can’t even tell she just had a baby.”

“So, we can see her soon?” I asked.

“Once they move her to her permanent room. I’ll let you know as soon as that happens,” he said, then left us to go spend time with his family.

“Benjamin Lukas,” Dillon said with a chuckle.

“Chloe is a saint,” Jazzy added.

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